The Granddaughter
by mash4077fan
Summary: Continual. At a funeral, Margaret must try to keep her granddaughter and the members of the former 4077th from finding out her granddaughter's true identity. Will be H/M. T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

September, 1991 in a suburb of Boston, Mass.

"Hi honey, I'm home!" Came a strong voice with a slight edge of dark humor.

"Emma! Where the hell were you? I told you to come straight home. I meant it!" The voice of the ex-major pierced right through her.

"I'm sorry, Gram. I had a rough day. I went to visit mom and dad. I'm really sorry."

Margaret's face softened at the mention of the sixteen-year-old's parents.

"Again? I swear one of these days I'll march right into your school and give those girls a piece of Army training. And honey you know you can always visit your parents, just call me first. I'll always take you."

"I know. I just wanted to be alone."

"I know." Margaret hugged her granddaughter as if her life depended on her. It did in fact. Emma was her life. The pair were remarkably similar, in looks and personality. They both stood at the same height-just a smidgen short of 5'5". Emma's hair was long and a golden brown, just as Margaret's had been when she was her age. They both had the same beautiful eyes, and were filled with the same passion underneath. They loved Christmas and hated vinegar. They always ate popcorn as they watched Jeopardy. They were both strong and determined. They had to be. Life hadn't exactly been easy for them.

"What's that?"

"The mac n' cheese! It's boiling over!"

Margaret ran to the stove as Emma grabbed a dishcloth from the sink. Just then the phone rang.

"The world has marvelous timing."

"That it does. Will you get that sweetie, I can handle this. Oh make sure to screen it! I'm not in the mood to talk to idiots."

Emma grabbed up the phone just as it was about to cut to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Umm hi. Umm, is Margaret Houlihan there?"

"May I ask who's calling, please?"

"An old Army buddy."

"Umm okay, hold on a sec. Gram! He says he's an old Army buddy!"

"What? Okay hold on!"

Margaret came and with a look of wonder took the phone from her granddaughter. Emma also had a look on her face. Her grandmother never talked much about the war. She never even saw any of her Army friends once after the war ended. And now someone was calling her...

"Okay...Friday, 12:30, United Methodist Church, Hannibal.

Okay. I'll be there. Thanks, BJ. Yeah...it was nice to hear your voice too. Bye."

Margaqret hang up the phone and walked back into the kitchen. Emma followed hot on her heels.

"Not to ask a dumb question, but why are you going to be at a Methodist Church in Missouri on Friday at 12:30?"

"An old friend of mine has passed. You remember me talking about my commanding officer from the 4077th."

"Vaguely." Emma nodded her head slightly.

"Well, him."

"I'm sorry Gram." Emma didn't know much about her Gram's time in Korea, but she enough to know that her grandmother loved these people deeply, even though she never saw them.

"Yeah."

Emma hated it, but her grandmother closed up a lot when it came to her emotions. She never wanted Emma to know she was upset. That to Emma had begun at the funeral of her parents. Her Gram was a strong woman.

"So, are you going to book our flights?"

"Our? You're not going."

"What? Of course I am."

"And miss a week out of your first few days of senior year? I don't think so."

"Gram you can't just get on a plane to Missouri for a week and leave me here! Gram? Why don't you want me to go? Do you not want your friends to see me? To meet me? Why? Gram?" Emma knew she had hit the target, she could tell in the resigned look on her grandmother's face.

Margaret sighed. "I'll book our flights after dinner."

Emma gave her a quick hug and kiss and then turned to set the table.

This was not going to be easy. It wouldn't be easy going by herself. But with Emma? What was she going to do? To say? What could she say to placate both Emma and the members of the 4077th? How could she conceal who Emma _really _was? No, this definitely wouldn't be easy


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm glad to see there are a few people reading, so I'll try to update as often as possible. I don't plan on making this a really long story, but I wanted to see if anyone was interested. So please leave reviews! In case you were wondering, this idea came to me when I one day was for some reason thinking of ideas for what could be a M*A*S*H reunion today with the same actors. Which is why you won't see Frank or Col. Potter. And it's why the characters are older, because I usually don't write about them when they're this old. Anyways, here's part two. I hope you enjoy it!**

On Thursday, two days later, the Houlihan girls found themselves getting off a plane in Hannibal, Missouri.

"Who'd you say was picking us up?"

"An old friend from the 4077th, Klinger."

"Klinger?"

"Yeah, I guess I should call him Max now." Emma smiled as she carried their bags to the baggage claim.

"He told me to meet him here..."

"Major! Major Houlihan!"

"Klinger!"

"It's been so long, Major! You look wonderful!"

"Thank you, Klinger. So do you."

Emma waited patiently in the background.

"You can call me, Max. Not too many people call me by my last name."

"And you can call me Margaret, I suppose. I'm not a Major anymore."

"Okay, Margaret. Well, I never thought I'd be saying that."

They both laughed. Margaret was beaming. Emma could see how happy she was to see this man, and judging by the fact that he called her Major so often, he must have been an enlisted. Her grandmother was most likely even closer to the officers. Emma often wondered why she had never contacted any of them, but supposed she was busy raising her father, followed soon after by raising her.

"Oh and this is my granddaughter Emma! Emma, this is Max Klinger. He was our company clerk and resident nut at the 4077th."

Emma was amused at how her grandmother was beaming.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Klinger. And I expect to hear an explanation of being the 'resident nut'."

"Emma you are just as beautiful as your grandmother. And don't worry I'm sure you'll hear plenty of stories this weekend!"

It was time for Margaret to step in.

"Do you know who will be here, Klinger?"

"Well, BJ is here with his family, Hawkeye is here, Radar with his family, Charles with his wife, Soon-Lee is here with me, and now you and Emma."

"Pierce didn't bring his family?"

"Hawkeye never got married. Boy, you sure did lose touch, Major. We all are so excited that BJ found you and that you can be here. Even though the event shouldn't be what brought you to us, it certainly did. And now we can have our first reunion with you here too."

Margaret closed her eyes momentarily. Klinger sounded as if everyone had missed her throughout the years. She had gotten the invitations, and the phone calls. She just didn't go. She couldn't have gone. How would she have explained? She had a son, no husband. People would have questioned, and someone would have figured it out.

"I know everyone will be thrilled to meet your little Majorette here. She looks just like you!"

Margaret smiled at the mention of her granddaughter.

"Well, then let's get to it! Lead the way!"

Margaret put on a happy face and prayed for the best. Hopefully no one would ask questions. No one meaning both Emma and the former 4077th members. However, with Emma's knowledge of her past and her intelligence, she would be a problem. She could see it now. This wouldn't be easy.

**At Colonel Potter's house**

Klinger walked in and told Margaret and Emma to wait outside for a minute. He stepped into the living room.

"Everyone! I have a surprise!"

Only he and BJ knew that they had found Margaret. They decided to leave it a surprise. BJ smiled. He couldn't wait to see Margaret.

"Come on in!"

Margaret walked around the corner with Emma a few feet behind her. Emma stayed back because she knew this was going to be her grandmother's moment and she didn't want to take it away.

A chorus of "Oh my God"s and "Major!"s and "Margaret is that you?"s filled the room!

Hawkeye had been in the kitchen, but rushed out when he heard the commotion. He stood in the door between the kitchen and the living room. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was Margaret!

He pushed past the other people and spun her around.

"Hey Major Baby!" and then he kissed her.

Emma mouthed dropped.

When she pulled away they stared at each other. Hawkeye in pure amazement that she was there, and Margaret in horror. She didn't say anything, but quickly turned all of her attention to BJ and Soon-Lee who were rapidly throwing questions at her.

That was when Hawkeye noticed the girl standing in the back of the room. She was watching in disbelief as the crowd swarmed around her grandmother. Hawkeye knew instantly-so Margaret had gotten married to an ideal man, had at least one kid, and had at least one grandchild. There was no mistaking it. This was Margaret's granddaughter. She was about the right age to be and looked just like her. Hawkeye realized that this was how he could find out about Margaret's life. He walked up to her, and she didn't notice him coming.

"Well, hello there. I'm Hawkeye. Might I say that you are just as stunning as your grandmother."

Emma whipped around.

"Oh thank you. Hi. Oh you're the man who just kissed my grandmother. That was interesting." She extended her hand out to him. "Emma Houlihan."

"Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce. But you can call me Hawkeye."

"It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too."

Just then BJ came over.

"Hello there, might I assume that you are related to our favorite Major."

"Yes, I'm Emma Houlihan, Margaret Houlihan's granddaughter."

"Granddaughter! Wow! So to become a grandmother, she must have had kids! Are you parents here?" BJ was becoming overjoyed at the prospect of meeting Margaret's family.

"Umm no. My parents were killed in a car crash when I was three. My grandmother raised me. She only had one son. So it's just the two of us."

"Wait a minute, did you say your last name is Houlihan?"

"Yes."

"Well how could that be? Shouldn't it be your father's last name, which would be whatever your grandfather's last name was? Or is as the case may be?"

"My grandparents were never married. My dad didn't know him and obviously I never have either. So when my dad was born, he took my Gram's last name, and that's how it's my last name too."

"Oh I see." BJ said, somewhat confused.

"So, did you grandmother ever get married?" added Hawkeye.

"Well, I believe she was married once in Korea, but besides that, no she didn't. I guess she was pretty busy raising my dad, and then raising me."

It broke Hawkeye's heart to know that because some idiot wouldn't take ownership of his child that Margaret had to raise her son on her own. And then to have such a terrible thing as a car accident take her only child, and then have to raise her granddaughter all alone.

Margaret then noticed that her granddaughter was alone speaking with Hawkeye and BJ. Her heart leapt into her throat as she excused herself from Soon-Lee and Peg and ran to her granddaughter to see what damage had been done.

"I see you gentlemen have met Emma."

"She's lovely Margaret." BJ said.

"You did a great job." Hawkeye added.

The looks coming from both men told her that they knew at least part of her story. Probably all of it, knowing Emma.

BJ saw her discomfort and quickly changed the topic. "That was quite a kiss you two shared over there."

Emma jumped at the opportunity. "Yeah, what's the story behind that you two?"

Hawkeye looked at Margaret. "She's cute."

"Yeah, too cute for her own good sometimes." Emma smiled sweetly.

BJ directed his next comment to Emma. "You know, when we said our goodbyes in Korea, they shared a kiss very similar to that one."

"Oh really?" Emma was loving hearing gossip on her grandmother's past life.

"Enough, Captain."

"Yes, Major." BJ winked at Emma.

"Lunch is ready everyone! Let's sit down and eat!" Peg called.

They all began to walk toward the kitchen when Hawkeye put his hand on Margaret's back. Emma saw Margaret tense when he touched her. She would definitely have to find out more about this man and his relationship with her grandmother later.

"Could you please pass the potato salad?" Margaret asked Emma.

"Yuck" she stated as she passed the bowl to her.

"You know, everyone in the world like potato salad except you."

"I don't." Hawkeye chimed in from his seat on the other side of Margaret.

"Kindred spirits." said BJ from across the table.

Margaret froze at that comment as Hawkeye and Emma shared a high five behind her.

Throughout lunch, the former members of the 4077th engaged in friendly conversation. Mostly it was about stories from the 4077th. Emma listened with joy to the stories of a young Margaret. It wasn't until someone, she was pretty sure it was Klinger said, "July 27th, 1953. The happiest and most frightening day of my life."

Emma questioned, "What happened on that day?"

"That was the day the war ended." BJ told her.

That got Emma's mind churning. July 27th, 1953. Her father was born on April 18th, 1954. After a quick calculation in her head, she went over what she knew about her grandfather. He was a doctor, a surgeon. That's really all she knew. But due to her calculations, he must have been in Korea with her grandmother. That's the only way it would make sense, unless her father was born very premature, which was unlikely. And it had to have been close to the end. So it was either a man passing through, or someone that her grandmother knew. She preferred to think it was the latter. So it was someone from the 4077th. She thought about what she knew about the people. A few had died before this point. A Henry Blake, who died during the middle of the war. Nope, couldn't have been him. A Frank Burns, who left in the middle of the war. Couldn't have been him either. And now their Colonel Potter, the reason they were here. It couldn't have been him. Everyone thought of him as a father. So it had to be someone here. In this room. Someone in this room was her grandfather.

She quickly scolded herself for coming to that conclusion. That was an insane way of thinking. Surely if her mother had become pregnant from someone in this room, they would have cared enough for her to at least help financially with the baby. And after meeting them she couldn't imagine them not wanting to know their child either. So it was a crazy thought. It was just some doctor. Unless her grandmother didn't tell the father that she was pregnant...No. Her Gram wouldn't have done that. Never. She tried to dismiss her thought that someone in this room could be her grandfather, but it was so hard. It just kept nagging at her.

"Em? Are you okay?" Margaret had noticed the far off look in Emma's eyes.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking." She then went back to eating her lunch.

Margaret didn't like that. Her granddaughter was too smart to be thinking. Thinking would only get her in trouble. Emma, Margaret, and Emma's grandfather. It was just best to be left unknown.

**A/N: So I'm sure you can see where this is going. Oh well. I don't care. :)**

**Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Plus I really want to know that someone is reading this so I should continue. :)**

**xoxoxox**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm glad to know that some people are reading! I'm kinda at a blank for what to do at this point in the story. I know the ending, but this middle part is a little iffy, so just bear with me, I'm just going to kinda go with the flow. I hope you're all enjoying it, and that you don't mind it being too terribly predictable! xoxo**

Hawkeye had taken an instant liking to Emma. He wasn't quite sure why, but he enjoyed talking to Margaret's granddaughter.

Over the last few days, Emma had been going over her facts in her mind. If someone in this room was truly her grandfather, it would have to be either Klinger, BJ, Hawkeye, or Charles. Radar had also left before the end of the war. She doubted it was Klinger-neither she or her father were swarthy in the least. Plus he was an enlisted man, and he fell in love with Soon-Lee and the end of the war. She also doubted-but couldn't be sure-about BJ. He was a family man through and through and respected her grandmother so much. She didn't think he would use her as a mistress.

That left Hawkeye and Charles. Through stories, it was evident that both men had had feelings for her Gram at the time of the war. She concluded that Hawkeye still had some type of feelings for her, as he was always trying to talk to her and be near her, even though her grandmother tended to push him away. Charles didn't seem as if he still had feelings for her, but she assumed that was because he was now married. Forty years is a long time. A lot can happen in forty years.

Emma decided that she would just have to be direct. She had to ask. Should she ask her grandmother, or Hawkeye and Charles themselves? She wasn't sure. Both ways could present problems.

After lunch, she wandered out to a bench swing hanging from a tree on the other side of the yard. Both Margaret and Hawkeye noticed how distracted she had been at lunch. Margaret decided to give her space. Hawkeye decided to not.

He followed her out to the swing and sat beside her.

"Hey kiddo, what's going on?"

"Oh nothing, just thinking."

"Is there something you want to talk about? I mean, I'm sure I'm not your first choice of confidants, but I'm here, and completely willing to listen."

Emma decided to take a chance. She would never get it out of Margaret.

"Actually, I have a question."

"For me?"

"For you."

"Shoot."

"This is going to sound a little weird. A lot weird, but just take it at face value for the moment okay?"

"Okay, Emma. What is it?"

"Were and my grandmother ever...close?"

"Of course we were. Your grandmother was one of my best friends in Korea. One of my best friends ever."

"No, I mean, I know. But were you ever _really close_?"

"What?" Hawkeye was taken aback. "What? Why would you ask that? That's quite personal!"

"Look, just answer me." Hawkeye could tell Emma was Margaret's granddaughter. She had switched into no-nonsense mode. Quietly he responded.

"Yes." Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe I'm even discussing this with you."

"When?"

"Oh come on Emma! No. That's way too far."

Emma shot him a stare that could have only come from a Houlihan. "When?" she said through clenched teeth.

Hawkeye sighed, gave in. "Twice actually."

Emma switched briefly into sarcastic mode. "Oh really? I'd say you were pretty close. When?"

"Once, we got lost behind enemy lines. We spent the night in an abandoned hut, we were being shelled. We thought we were going to die."

"At what period in the war was that?"

"Somewhere around the middle."

"And the other time?"

"Our last night at the 4077th."

All color vanished from Emma's face. "Oh my God. You hate potato salad."

Hawkeye had been rambling on about how he couldn't believe she asked him that. "What?" He stopped and noticed Emma.

"Oh my God."

All of the bravery that Emma had previously possessed had been drained from her body. She turned and started walking away, fast. Hawkeye ran to grab her.

"Emma, what the hell is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Damn it Emma! What is going on?"

"My father was born on April 19th, 1954 okay? He was born on April 19th." She wiped a few tears that had fallen. She had found her grandfather, and she wasn't sure whether to be happy, sad, mad, or what. But it was overwhelming nonetheless.

"What? Oh you don't think? Oh my God, there's no way."

At this point Emma really started to cry.

"Hey, look, it's okay. Maybe you're wrong. We'll figure this out, okay? But whichever way it does turn out, it'll be okay. I promise you."

Hawkeye hugged Emma. He wanted to believe that this was a misunderstanding, some silly mistake. But not much was convincing him that this girl wasn't his granddaughter. His and Margaret's granddaughter.

Hawkeye and Emma pulled away at the same time and looked at each other. The same thought seemed to be going through their mind.

"Oh my God! What do we tell-"

"Margaret."

**A/N: This might sound weird but it was weird to write too. I had pictured it visually, like in a movie, so it's hard to now convey it through words. I hope you enjoyed it anyway though!**

**As always, please review to let me know someone cares!**

**xoxoxoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't posted in forever! I've been getting such nice reviews and I'm a terrible person, but life has just been so hectic. I'm going to try to post more often with smaller parts. That should help. Thank you guys so much if you all are still reading! xoxoxo**

The next day was the funeral. Margaret thought it was odd that Hawkeye sat nowhere near her and Emma, choosing a spot next to Charles instead. Hawkeye had been fairly attached to Margaret and Emma so far, but ever since Hawkeye went out to talk to Emma, he steered clear of the two and Emma hardly said a word to anyone. She looked like she was thinking all the time.

Emma didn't take Hawkeye's distance as "time to think" or "space" lightly. It upset her. And when they returned to the house after the funeral, Emma planned to confront him about it.

Once everyone arrived back at the house, they all took time to get changed into more comfortable clothes. It had been an emotionally exhausting day for everyone. Once Emma had changed, she told her grandmother that she was going to take a walk, go see the animals or something. Margaret, like most everyone else, decided to lay down for a little while before heading down for dinner.

As she walked outside, she could see that the sun was beginning to set, and that Hawkeye was sitting on the bench swing alone. Staring into space.

"Hawkeye?" He jarred his head toward her.

"Oh hi Emma." She sat down next to him and he looked uncomfortable. He had been doing a lot of thinking.

"Look Hawkeye, I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to do anything. Anything at all. See I was just curious. I have always wanted to know who my grandfather was. My Gram said it never really bothered my dad. But I've just always wanted to know. And now I'm pretty sure that I do. But I'll ask Gram. But not here. I'll ask once we get home, to Boston. That way you'll never have to know, or face my grandmother, or do anything. At all. I'll know and your life won't change. That wasn't my goal when I started thinking about this. I didn't want to ruin your life, I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity. Please, accept my apology. Can we just forget about this whole thing? We'll leave and everything will be fine."

Hawkeye looked up for the first time since Emma had begun talking.

"What's your middle name?"

"What?"

"Your middle name. What is it?"

"Cecilia. It's a Houlihan family name. Why? What's yours?"

"Franklin. Remember? Benjamin Franklin Pierce?"

Emma laughed. "That's right."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Pink, I guess. Or green. I never really thought about it. Yours?"

"Red. Ever since the war, red. What was the happiest day of your life?"

Emma stopped. Frowned. And thought hard. Hawkeye realized that most days had to be hard when you've lost both of your parents.

"Nevermind. New question."

"No! Just let me think on it. I'll get back to you on it. What was yours?"

"The day I went home. Wait. No. The day before I went home. I told your grandmother I wanted her to come home with me. I gave her my phone number and my address. I told her to call or just to come. She didn't. Now I think I know why. I believed that she would so much so that I waited for five years. I never went on a date, never went on vacation. I just waited for her. Until I realized she wouldn't come. Then I was mad for another good three years. And then for about two years I was desperate and tried contacting her over and over. But she never responded. Then I gave up and moved on. But I never really did. I never got married. I just lived my life."

Hawkeye looked up and saw the expression on Emma's face. She looked taken aback.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have even gone there. New question. When's your birthday?"

"November 6th. When's yours?"

"March 3rd. What.."

"Hawkeye wait. Why are you asking me all of these questions?"

"I want to get to know my granddaughter."

Emma was pleased by this statement of acceptance, but she still said, "But why don't we wait until we actually know. I mean, there's a chance that I might not be your granddaughter."

"Emma, in case you haven't noticed, I've been thinking. If I'm your grandfather, I've missed everything. My son completely, and almost the entire childhood of my only granddaughter. I don't want to miss any more of it. Maine isn't very far from Boston. I can come visit you all of the time. I'm retired for the most part. I can do that. And you can come visit me in Crabapple Cove. Or if your grandmother would allow it, I can move to Boston. Or you guys can move to Crabapple Cove. There's a beautiful college about 25 minutes away."

"But you might not be my grandfather."

"And that's what I've really been thinking about. Even if I'm not your grandfather, if you'd let me, I'd like to be your pseudo-grandfather. I don't have a family, no one to spend my time with besides the other old men at the lodge. I love your grandmother more than anything. And loving her, I already love you. And I don't think officially finding out one way or another whether we're officially grandparent/grandchild or not is going to change my opinion of you."

Emma was more than surprised by this. Even if he wasn't her grandfather, he wanted to be! She never had a male figure in her life. She couldn't believe how happy she truly was.

She leaned over and gave him a hug telling him that she would love that more than anything.

"But we still have to talk to-"

"Margaret."

**So that's it for this little snippet. I hope you liked it. I know..I still haven't gotten to the really tricky part of telling Margaret. She's such a difficult character to write about. She's so dimensional. Anyways...please review! I'll try to post ASAP!**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


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